Damascus, July 9 (SANA) The Swiss Cooperation Office in Syria officially opened Wednesday in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, marking an expansion of Swiss engagement from humanitarian assistance to long-term development cooperation.
Located in Damascus’ Abu Rummaneh district, the office will oversee development and humanitarian projects and serve as Switzerland’s official cooperation mission in Syria.
Qutaiba Qadish, director of the International Cooperation Department at the Foreign Ministry, said the office’s opening marks “an important step” toward Syria’s recovery and reconstruction and reflects growing international engagement with Syria.
He said the office previously operated as a humanitarian mission under the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), focusing on emergency assistance, but has now been upgraded to an official cooperation office based in Damascus.
“The office will not be limited to humanitarian activities,” Qadish told reporters. “It will implement development projects, provide technical support and work directly with the Syrian government, while also serving as Switzerland’s political representation in Syria.”
He added that Switzerland is currently discussing a number of development projects with the ministry that are expected to be launched in the coming months.
Patricia Danzi, director-general of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, said upgrading the humanitarian office to a cooperation office sends “a political signal” that Switzerland intends to work with the Syrian government through its institutions and according to the country’s development priorities.
She said cooperation will focus on humanitarian assistance, basic services and water infrastructure, alongside economic development initiatives designed to help people restart businesses, access financing and create jobs.
Danzi added that Switzerland will also cooperate with Syria on peacebuilding, governance, transitional justice and missing persons, areas in which Switzerland hopes to facilitate dialogue and support long-term stability.
Michael Ohnmacht, chargé d’affaires of the European Union delegation to Syria, described the opening of the office as an important development, saying it reflects a broader shift from humanitarian assistance toward early recovery, development cooperation and investment.
Although Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, Ohnmacht said it shares common objectives with the bloc regarding Syria’s recovery and economic development.
He said Syria requires broad international cooperation and stressed the importance of coordination between Syrian institutions and international partners to advance economic growth and social development.
Ohnmacht expressed hope that additional cooperation offices and diplomatic missions would open in Syria in the near future.
Salwa al-Mehdi, programs officer at the Swiss Cooperation Office, said the office will now manage and finance projects directly from Damascus.
During the conflict, humanitarian programs were coordinated through Swiss offices in Türkiye, Jordan, Lebanon and Damascus. She said the new arrangement allows Switzerland to shift toward long-term development cooperation while building on years of humanitarian experience.
Among the initiatives already under way are joint projects with U.N. agencies in Aleppo and Damascus Countryside, as well as a newly signed vocational training project with a German development agency.
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), part of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, is responsible for Switzerland’s international development cooperation and humanitarian assistance.
T.S /ABD
